Echinacea purpurea cultivar Razzmatazz.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Razzmatazzxe2x80x99.
The new Echinacea was discovered as a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unidentified selection of Echinacea purpurea, not patented. The Inventor discovered and selected the new Echinacea as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the unidentified Echinacea selection in 1997 in a controlled environment in Warmond, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea by cuttings was first conducted in Warmond, The Netherlands in 1998. Since then, asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Razzmatazz has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Razzmatazzxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Razzmatazzxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Echinacea:
1. Upright plant habit.
2. Anemone-type inflorescence form.
3. Dark pink-colored ray florets and enlarged red purple-colored disc florets.
Plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in inflorescence form and ray and disc floret coloration.
Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the Echinacea cultivar Magnus, not patented. Plants of the new Echinacea have anemone-type inflorescences whereas plants of the cultivar Magnus have daisy-type inflorescences. In addition, plants of the new Echinacea and the cultivar Magnus differ in ray and disc floret coloration.